California
Lower Stump Volunteer Day.
Volunteers working in Cable Meadow.
Mother Lode Chapter Spotlight
March/April 2008
By Bill Youngman
In early spring of 2007 the United States Forest Service and California Department of Fish and Game called upon the Mother Lode Mule Deer Chapter for another season of hard work. The Groveland Ranger District of the Stanislaus National Forest is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range of central California. This is the location where mule deer and black-tailed deer once thrived.
Once the snow melted and the weather conditions improved, the chapter set off on their first project. The Mother Lode Chapter volunteers met with the United States Forest Service and the Buck Meadow Hot Shots. Before the group could get to work they had to become chain saw certified. Once they obtained their chainsaw certifications, they quickly started to clear the Thompson Meadow free of bush and conifers. This was done to improve the meadow for deer and other wildlife habitats. From that point on the weather was too miserable to continue working.
Starting in April, the Mother Lode Mule Deer Chapter teamed up with Jason Jimenez from the Groveland Ranger District of the United States Forest Service. They then started to restore meadows in the Granite Burn Area. The Granite Burn Area burned approximately 15,000 acres in 1973. In 1974 and 1975 the United States Forest Service harvested and replanted the burnt area. The Mother Lode Chapter continues to restore the deer habitat.
So far, the Mother Lode Chapter has not only cleared the six meadows within the burn area of debris, but has also installed 7,500 feet of fence around the six different meadows to ensure domestic livestock would not graze in the new restored project. The members have also cleared five acres of overcrowding mature brush and conifers by hand and chainsaw. This work totaled seven hundred seventy-nine man hours.
As we all know, habitat is the most critical component of maintaining and sustaining all wildlife resources, including mule deer and black-tailed deer. Their population and well being relies on their habitat for food, shelter and security. This is why restoration of the burn area is still in progress.
The Mother Lode Chapter was also involved in four projects to restore the Jawbone Ranger Station. The Jawbone Ranger Station was once a manned United States Forest Service ranger station, but is used as a base camp by California Fish and Game for fall and spring herd composition counts. The volunteers put 202 man hours in with United States Forest Service and the California Fish and Game. The work included working on the building’s structural value such as siding, paint, and windows. Not only has the chapter helped this year but previous years as well.
Chapter members have also helped California Fish and Game and the United States Forest Service on four deer count projects. With the help of the Mother Lode Chapter members, the California Fish and Game counted the number of deer for studies such as doe to fawn ratio and doe to buck ratio. The team also tracked some collared does and fawns throughout 2007. The total man hours contributed to this project was 368 hours. The members are hoping to generate more revenue for the collar program. That way, we can help the Department of Fish and Game track more does and fawns so they can do more studies on their habitats and movements.
The Mother Lode Chapter works with the California Fish and Game to ensure deer herds have the right minerals it takes to survive the harsh Sierra Nevada winters. The volunteers put seventy man hours into this project by spreading salt blocks. The salt blocks were bought with the money raised from Tuolumne County Fish and Wildlife Preservation Fund. Our chapter strives to continue to make the mule deer and black-tailed populations increase to what they once were – which is why we are already geared up for the 2008 season.
Looking back on 2007, the Mother Lode Chapter contributed an impressive 1,419 man hours for mule deer and black-tailed deer habitat. With the help of the United States Forest Service and California Fish and Game, the projects the group worked on throughout the year created better spring, summer and winter habitats for not only mule deer and black-tailed deer but other wildlife as well. Once again our volunteers of the Mother Lode Chapter worked to ensure our mule deer and black-tailed deer will still be around for future generations.
For more information on the Mother Lode Chapter or for information on how you can become involved, contact Bill Youngman at 209-734-5922.